


#CouplesGoals #Bucky-Bear

by Tahlruil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, M/M, Marriage Proposal, N - Freeform, POV Bucky Barnes, Teacher Bucky Barnes, Teacher Tony Stark, meddling students, stuffed animal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22063570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil
Summary: "No. I wanna hear about what you and Steve-o were doing. You two have been plotting, don't think I didn't notice! I hope none of the students saw you sneaking around with him. We donotneed that scandal again.""Our students need lives.""No, we just need to stop being so damn cute. They can't help but pay attention to us, Buck-a-boo. We're two hot, young,maleteachers who are dating each other. We are very distracting in the best way possible. Now carry me to the couch so we can snuggle and you can tell me what you and Steve were doing."
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 232
Collections: 2019 WinterIron_Holiday_Exchange





	#CouplesGoals #Bucky-Bear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hopespym](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopespym/gifts).



> Happy holidays, hopespym! I hope you enjoy your story. <3

"Fuckin'... I'm almost out of buckets... gonna have to throw down some lily pads and paper towels again. We can get shiny new laptops for the kids every year, but heaven for-fucking-bid they fix the _goddamn roof_ of my fucking gymnasium."

"You have worked here for less than a year. I mean, officially - not as a sub." Keener was an annoying brat when he was right, so he didn't do much more than scowl at the teen that sometimes felt like his. "As a bonefied PE teacher you haven't even gone through a year yet, so tone down the salt. 'My gymnasium', please. There are gum collections in the locker room that have been here longer than you."

"Don't you have, oh I don't know... class? And don't you feed me that line about a 'study hall', 'cause I'm wise to that now. No way you've got four study halls in one day."

"True, but only because if I was loading my classes that heavy, I'd have graduated rather than sticking around for another year. So no, not study hall. Band."

"You don't... you don't play an instrument."

"No, I do. Badly - very badly. I'm getting extra lessons and a pass on actual band class until I've gotten around that learning curve."

"You are such a little shit. Did Tony put you up to that?"

"Nope. This one's on Mr. Rogers." _Fucking Stevie_. "He said I needed some extracurricular stuff that wasn't science based - I have to pretend to be well rounded when I fill out applications. At least that's how I took it."

"He'll be thrilled to learn you went with the sketchiest possible interpretation. Make yourself useful and go see if I have any more buckets buried in the storage room, would you?" Tossing the keys to Harley was only a little nerve-wracking. Kid couldn't catch for shit, which he suspected was deliberate to keep anyone from scouting him for his superior throwing skills. Luckily they only fumbled a little instead of dropping and scratching up his freshly polished floor.

That was already his favorite thing about starting a new school year. His floor was fucking _shining_ and reflecting shit. It was great. Now if only he could get the leaks plugged up it would be perfect.

It was also nice to have some breathing room first thing in the morning. Maybe it was only available to him on alternating days, but he'd take it. Better than the way _every_ morning had been packed full when he'd started as a sub, or the weird way things had slotted together his first year as a teacher. He liked his schedule, he knew the kids, and he finally felt like he almost knew what he was supposed to be doing. Stevie deserved a fruit basket or something for talking him into taking the substitute gig when it opened up.

"There's no buckets!" Harley hollered, poking his curly head out of the storage room. "Not that I can see and there's too many spiderwebs for me to be comfortable reaching. Want me to run and see if Mr. Stark has any?"

Weighing the pros and cons of that was tough. On the one hand, Tony probably had oodles of extra buckets and would fall all over himself to lend a few to him. On the other... well. He'd be lucky to get Harley _back_ , and the kid would be lucky if he pulled himself free in time to make it to his third period class. It was a tough call, and he probably would have said no except...

"Yeah, but hold on a sec! If you're going down there anyway you can take something to him."

"It better not be flowers!"

"We are waaaay past the flowers stage, Keener. But don't worry, I won't make you carry anything embarrassing." Ignoring the 'ew' from Harley, who had been the one to get them together, for fuck's sake, he headed for his office. Taking the time to compose a little note to tape onto the hideous monstrosity that was his boyfriend's lunch pail was unnecessary, but he knew Tony would appreciate it. Harley would read it too and probably secretly think it was adorable while loudly proclaiming how gross it was.

Sure enough Harley's nose wrinkled about halfway to the gym door. He shot a look over his shoulder that clearly showed how whipped he thought Bucky was and that was just fine. Nothing wrong with being sweet on your partner, and there was more to dating than swapping spit and awkward groping. Every teenager should be so lucky to have such a wonderful example of couplehood. They were #couplegoals or whatever the fuck. Hell, they had their own fan page run by a few students that was almost as cute as it was vaguely creepy. Tony liked it, anyway. The only reason Harley got so touchy about it was because the clear and shining purity of their love made him uncomfortable. Yeah, that was it.

~.~.~

_**Tones -** _

_**You forgot this in your mad dash out this morning.** _

_**I love you so much I didn't even eat the chocolate crinkle cookies in there.** _

_**Not all of them anyway.** _

_**Pretty sure this thoughtful gesture means you have to cook or order dinner tonight.** _

_**Have a good day babe. See you after school.** _

_**Bucky-bear** _

~.~.~

If he blinked enough times whatever was happening in front of him would eventually make sense. Probably? Only it had felt like a solid three minutes so far and he still had no idea what the fuck was going on. There were giggling students - mostly girls, but some of the boys who weren't audibly giddy were still blushing or grinning like idiots - and they were all standing in front of him instead of going to sit in his neat little rows designed to show him at a glance if anyone was absent. And yeah, sure, that had happened sometimes last year, but not so _early_ in the year!

He was sort of proud to be known as a fair, fun taskmaster. Even after the longer vacations it could take up to a week for the students to feel comfortable bending the rules he didn't mind bending. So this... this mass show of mutiny was concerning and had him wondering if he hadn't been feeling a bit too sure of himself lately.

But even that didn't explain the bear.

"What. What is.... why..." Maybe deciding he'd struggled enough, Gwen gave the little teddy bear she was holding a gentle shake. It forced him to focus a little more on the stupid thing, and he was finally able to take in some of the ridiculous details that had it all making sense. "Please. Please tell me you didn't."

"We didn't!"

"Thanks. Now the truth."

"Okay. So I would never actually call you, you know - Bucky-bear."

"Well thank fuck for that. What the--"

"But it's so cuuuute! You guys have little names for each other and you bring each other lunch and don't think we don't know about that little alcove where you guys go to hug sometimes between classes!" He choked on his own spit, then felt a blush creeping up over his cheeks. "Not even kisses! Just snuggles! It's the cutest freaking thing - and you owe us 10, by the way - and letting him call you 'Bucky-bear' is just... like, I want someone that will call me crap like that and it won't make me want to pretend to gag, you know? So anyway. Some of us got together--"

"So it's a group effort. That's... comforting. But what--"

"It's not for you! It's for Mr. Stark. 'Cause, you know. He needs one. Clearly."

"Clearly."

"So yeah! We got the bear and they had a track suit in our school colors - how perfect is _that_? And Peter doesn't like to talk about it, but he's pretty good at sewing, so we made like a little pattern thing so he could embroider the logo and your name and stuff. Come on - it's pretty freaking perfect."

The most annoying part was that she was right. The stupid little guy was pretty adorable, from the wobbly little logo to the little envelope he had attached to one paw that looked like it might be made of felt or something. Said envelope was even sealed with a heart, and fuck. He couldn't make them give it to him or return it or anything. He just couldn't. They'd spent time and money, and it meant they had to like him a little bit - they all loved Tony. And Tony would love the bear.

"Yeah... yeah it is. But if it's not for me, then why'd you bring it here?"

"We needed to get your approval," she told him with an unsaid 'duh'. "So you like him? No changes to be made?"

"... nah. Just. I never want to hear any of you say Bucky-bear ever again."

"Yessir!"

"Alright. Go put that thing away then and get into your lines so we can get started. Gwen!"

"Yeah?"

"Look, before you hand it off to Mr. Stark... lemme write a note to go with it."

He absolutely deserved the way the chorus of squeals almost caused his ears to start bleeding.

~.~.~

_**Hey Doll -** _

_**Gotta love these kids, huh? Thought I was having a stroke when they first showed it to me.** _

_**Don't tell them I said this, but he is pretty cute. Maybe we should get one for home too?** _

_**Just thinking you might like a Bucky-bear to cuddle when you're home sick and I still have to come to work.** _

_**Also - we may need a new hugging spot. They're onto us again.** _

_**Love you and I'll see you when I get home.** _

_**Bucky-bear** _

_**PS - put him somewhere safe in the 'shop, okay? Nowhere he could get cut in half or anything.** _

_**PPS - NEVER SHOW STEVIE** _

~.~.~

"Hey Tony?"

"I like the things you dooooo... I mean. What?" Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes was hard, but he managed. Before he even tried to continue the conversation he gently took the box of cereal out of his boyfriend's hands. If there were Frosted Flakes anywhere in the vicinity Tony would sing the jingle at any mention of his name. Long after it stopped being quirky or cute or funny, Tony would just keep... singing it. Off-pitch and off-rhythm. Hell, sometimes other cereals or breakfast items that made him _think_ of cereal would inspire a serenade. He hoped taking the cereal away would be enough.

"What are you still doing up?"

"It's not a school night. Also you're not my mother." Tony reached up and grabbed hold of his jacket; he was more than happy to be pulled down for a soft kiss. "Missed you."

"Missed you too. You didn't have to wait up though."

"Nn. The bed's too big and too soft without you. I hope you're happy because now I need muscles in bed with me in order to fall asleep."

"You've finally uncovered my fiendish plot."

"Curses!" Despite his lively voice and the fist he shook up at the ceiling, Tony did look tired. Sleepy and soft even, with his well-worn t-shirt featuring a cracked MIT logo and cozy sweatpants that did nothing for his ass but still made Bucky's mouth go a little dry. He'd never seen those pants until almost six months into their relationship - they were comfy pants, not ones meant to impress. They'd never made an appearance until Tony had felt comfortable and safe around him, and _fuck_ but he sort of loved them. "What time is it anyway? It doesn't feel that late."

"Yeah, but you're sitting facing away from the clock and eating cereal - bound to mess with your sense of time." He'd already kicked off his boots, and now that he'd figured out why the kitchen light was still on he could shrug his jacket off as well. Usually he was a stickler for putting things away, but it wasn't gonna hurt anything if he left on the counter until morning. "You look tired doll." When he cupped Tony's cheek in one hand his boyfriend leaned into the touch and gave a happy little sigh, melting in his chair. "Wanna head right to bed?"

"No. I wanna hear about what you and Steve-o were doing. You two have been plotting, don't think I didn't notice! I hope none of the students saw you sneaking around with him. We do _not_ need that scandal again."

"Our students need lives."

"No, we just need to stop being so damn cute. They can't help but pay attention to us, Buck-a-boo. We're two hot, young, _male_ teachers who are dating each other. We are very distracting in the best way possible. Now carry me to the couch so we can snuggle and you can tell me what you and Steve were doing."

"Brat." Despite the lighthearted 'accusation' he easily swept Tony up into his arms and carried him into the living room. His boyfriend gave a happy hum and the move, one that felt pretty great pressed against the side of his neck. He managed to earn another of those contented noises by pressing a kiss to the man's forehead - he could have easily spent the rest of the night trying to win more of them, but he knew Tony would be relentless once they were settled on the couch.

The thought made him pause briefly before he deposited Tony on the sofa before going back to their entryway. A whine followed him, but by the time he'd grabbed his bag and gotten back to the couch his boyfriend didn't seem too unhappy. He'd waited for Bucky though, and it wasn't until he'd settled into his seat that Tony relaxed back into the couch and then curled up against him.

"Didja buy me something?"

"Maybe. Stevie thinks I should give it to you at school, but... we share a lot with them already, you know? So I thought maybe a restaurant, but that's still..."

"We share each other a lot with other people," Tony mumbled against the tender spot just under his ear. "I know what you mean. I don't need public presents babe. Everyone knows how awesome I am."

"You are pretty awesome," he agreed with a smile. "Right up there with Batman."

"Yessss. Now. What did you get me?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you." A sharp pinch in his side had him trying to pull away from Tony and his punishing fingers. "Hey! It's just that I know you appreciate drama and theatrics and being all romantic sometimes. So I was going to wait and make it all those things, but... I don't know. That's only part of you, and I adore that part of you. But I also like you here, when it's just you and me and the boys and you're in all those clothes you wouldn't have been caught dead _owning_ much less wearing when we first started going out. I like this you that nobody else gets to see."

"Buck?"

"So maybe I'll do both, huh? Maybe I can show you here, where it can be nice and quiet and _us_ , and I'll also put something together that'll blow your fucking mind in front of a bunch of people."

"Both is good," Tony said quietly, a note of anticipation entering his voice. "Is this... are we... I feel like I should maybe sit up but I really like cuddling. Should I sit up?"

"Up to you doll. I'm happy with you right there, but--"

"Yeah, no. Okay. Yeah. I'm happy here too. With you and the cuddling and... and I wish I hadn't sent the boys off to charge so early but now I don't want to wake them up. You have to promise they'll be there, okay Buck? For the big dramatic one they have to..."

"Are you... are you crying?"

"N-no. _You're_ crying."

"Might be in a minute. Just hope they're happy tears. So hey..." Tony stifled a laugh against his shoulder, face turned away and eyes closed. Even hiding like that, he could still recognize the oh-so-familiar lines of joy running across what he could see. While his boyfriend wasn't looking he fished out the bear he'd spent entirely too long trying to make perfect. Tony loved the one the kids had gotten him, and Bucky knew that the little stuffed animal was often tucked under his arm when he was lecturing or walking the hallways. They never had gotten one for home, and he just... he really hoped Tony would like it.

"I love you, you know that? I love you in a way I never thought I could. You're amazing, Tony. So goddamn smart and your heart is so fucking big. The way you are with the kids at school is... it makes me want to have kids of our own running around, because you'd be a great dad." Tony made a sound that was half laugh, half sob and hung onto him even tighter. Bucky could see that he was peeking at the bear, dressed in an outfit Bucky himself would wear and with a jewelry box sitting in his lap. "You make me a better person. Just having you in my life makes it good, you know? So I'd like to keep you in it forever, if that's alright with you."

He paused, because he was getting a lot more choked up than he'd thought he would. Practicing with Steve was one thing, but actually holding Tony and being able to see him while he spoke changed things. The way Tony was crying but also beaming didn't help at all, and he just loved the man so fucking much.

"So what do you think? Wanna marry me?"

Tony was nodding before Bucky had even managed to get jewelry box opened, which was... awesome and kind of overwhelming. That made him fumble a little, and he didn't quite manage to get the hinges to work right before Tony was kissing the stuffing out of him. He couldn't help but laugh against his boyfriend's mouth, joy and love making his heart swell. They spent the next several minutes exchanging sweet, lingering kisses with the bear pressed between them. It was the sort of soft, intimate moment that would have been lost if he'd given in to the urge to pander to Tony's love of spectacle.

"Our announcement is going to be _epic_ ," Tony said as they parted, like he was reading Bucky's mind. He was positively glowing, tears no longer falling but a gigantic smile on his face. "Instead of a second proposal I want a reveal to end all reveals."

"Whatever you want doll."

"Awww, Bucky-boo. Now gimme my Bucky-bear so I can see what he's got for me." Though he'd intended to be the one to open the jewelry box and present it, he always had a hard time saying no to Tony. So his boyfriend - _fiance_ \- was the one to snap the box open. Immediately his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open which was exactly the reaction he'd been going for. "Babe..."

"Dum-E, U and Butterfingers helped make the parts and then I took 'em to a jeweler to have turned into cufflinks." Tony's job made wearing any kind of jewelry difficult, after all. His familial obligations meant that they were in suits a lot, however, so this had seemed like a good compromise. "Do you like 'em?"

"I fucking _love them_. And you got our boys to help? That's so... aw, this is part of that circuit board that mostly blew up, and that's the wiring I'm using for the prosthetic prototype, and... and..." There were tears in Tony's eyes again, but they didn't start falling. Instead he let out a delighted laugh and stroked a finger over the carefully crafted cufflinks. They really were beautiful and totally unique, and he would have to thank Stevie later for giving him the idea. "Thanks Bucky-bear." Tony swooped down to plant a kiss on the bear's head, then leaned up and rested his forehead against his. "I love you."

"Love you too." They shared another kiss before settling back into the couch, Tony now half in his lap. "Can't believe you're actually gonna marry my sorry ass. Best day ever."

"Mmm. Also your ass is fantastic and I won't hear otherwise from anyone, not even you." He felt Tony nuzzle his neck and smiled, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his fiance's hair. "Also our weekend plans have now changed - we're spending the rest of it snuggling and planning--"

"Our epic reveal. I'm assuming we'll also drink lots of hot chocolate and make out a couple of times?"

"Of course."

"Perfect."

"Hey Buck? Can our wedding be Star Wars themed?"

"Anything you want doll. Just as long as I can have a purple lightsaber and we let Nat dress up as a Lady Sith so she can intimidate the fuck out of people when the priest asks if anyone has any objections. It would make her so, so happy."

"And we wanna keep your murder sister happy. Done, with the added stipulation that we have Pepper officiate the ceremony , flanked by Rhodey and Steve who will be acting as her bodyguards for the entirety of the event. All guests will be required to at the very least carry a lightsaber - regular blue ones, only wedding party members can have special colors - but will be totally invited to dress up if they want to. Oooh, and we can have a special party or dance or something for the kids at school, and..."

He let all of Tony's plans wash over him, listening with half of his attention. The rest was spent idly planning their future, one filled with love and laughter. There would be pets and maybe kids, probably more 'bots than he could shake a stick at, and spectacular fights that would lead to even more spectacular make-up sex. Living with Tony for the past seven months had been awesome - he couldn't wait to get married to the guy.

The kids were going to _flip_ when they found out. He couldn't wait to see what they put up on the fan page.

**Author's Note:**

> So I spent most of the writing time writing the _backstory_ for these two, then decided to do this instead. :'D That part isn't finished (and probably wasn't going to be done in time), so once I have a bit more time on my hands I'll get that wrapped up and make this a 'series' so I can post it as a prequel.


End file.
